Long after known in Palestine and named Beelzebub. To whom the arch-enemy, And thence in heaven called Satan, with bold words 66 If thou beest he but oh, how fallen! how changed 80 85 'welters' as it floats in the sea. - 80. Palestine (Hebrew, Pelesheth). Here, as in Exodus xv. 14, Philistia, the narrow sea-coast southwest from the Holy Land seems to be included. -81. Beelzebub. He is styled 'the prince of the devils' in Matt. xii. 24. The word is said to mean 'god of flies'! (though others interpret it 'lord of the dunghill,') and to be more correctly spelled Beelzebul. Professor Himes is inclined to identify, to some extent, ‘Beëlzebub with Artemis, the lunar divinity, as Satan has been identified with Apollo, the solar divinity,' and we are reminded of 'the crescent-crowned æstrus-driven lo, one of the many forms under which the moon-goddess appears.' Says another critic: "Some authors suppose that he [Beelzebub] was so called [god of flies], because the inhabitants of Ekron worshipped the beetle ; which worship they perhaps borrowed from their superstitious neighbors, the Egyptians." See 2 Kings i. 2, where he is called 'the god of Ekron.' See Isaiah vii. 18, for a possible allusion to this worship. Flies in some of the eastern countries are an inexpressible torment, and 'god of flies' seems to a European there no inappropriate appellation for him whom our Saviour called prince of devils'! 82. Thence, from that fact, i. e. because he is an enemy, the chief enemy. Satan in Hebrew signifies adversary. -84. Beest. Keightley pronounces 'beest' here 'a grammatical error'; but Shakes. uses the word similarly in Julius Cæsar, IV. 3, "If that thou beest a Roman." Beest is lineally descended from A. S. byst, like Ger. bist. Oh, how fallen! how changed! In Isaiah xiv. 12, we have, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning"! and in Virgil, Æneid, II. 274, we read "Hei mihi, qualis erat! quantum mutatus, etc., Ah me, how he looked! how changed," etc. Note the abrupt transitions in this speech, indicating the tumultuous agitation of Satan's soul! Any art in this? 86. Brightness. In Par. Lost, V. 708, his countenance is compared to the morning star. In line 599, Book I., he still shines, though darkened.' Everywhere, Milton seems to proceed on the theory that the bodies of spirits are luminous like fire. 87. Myriads. A myriad, μupiás in Greek, was originally ten thousand. Here it is put for vast multitude? Mutual (Lat. muto, mutare, to change), exchangeable, or exchanged, or the result of exchange or stipulation. Macaulay stigmatizes "the low barbarism of 'mutual friend '"! -88. United. Epithet describing 'thoughts' and 'counsels'? - And hazard in the glorious enterprise, Joined with me once, now misery hath joined In equal ruin into what pit thou seest, From what highth fall'n, so much the stronger proved He with his thunder: and till then who knew The force of those dire arms? Yet not for those, Nor what the potent Victor in his rage Though changed in outward lustre, that fixed mind, That durst dislike his reign, and, me preferring, In dubious battle on the plains of heaven, 90 95 100 And shook his throne. What though the field be lost? 105 And study of revenge, immortal hate, That glory never shall his wrath or might ΠΟ Thoughts, one of the subjects of 'joined'?-89. Glorious. This word vividly suggests the aspiring ambition of Satan. 90. Now misery hath joined. Supply whom? or thee? What is the conclusion of the sentence beginning with if, lines 84 and 87? Bentley points out the similarity of the passage to Ovid, Met. i. 351.- 91-93. This passage is wonderfully condensed, "Thou, being fallen from such height into such depth, art shown how much stronger he was." Thunder. The thunder made a deep impression on Satan and his followers. How often they allude to it! Is there any trace here of the notion in Shakespeare (in Julius Cæsar, for instance) of the thunder as a weapon separate from the lightning?-94. Force. Meaning of this word in line 101? The language of Prometheus in defying Jove and in asserting unconquerable will (Esch. Prom. Vinct. 992-7, 1002-6) is quite similar. What evidence that Milton had Prometheus in mind in other passages of Par. Lost? - 107. Study. The critics will have it that Milton here uses this word (like studies in Shakes., 1 Henry IV., I. 3) to signify endeavor or desire. But is this necessary? 109. Some few interpret this line as if it read, Not to be overcome what is it but this? But the majority explain it as meaning, If anything else is incapable of being overcome, that is not lost. 110. That - Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace This downfall: since, by fate, the strength of gods Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy So spake the apostate angel, though in pain, 115 I 20 125 glory. This may refer to what precedes, and mean that ground for glorying'; or it may refer to what follows, the glory of making one bow and sue for grace,' etc. Which is preferable? Why? -112. Suppliant. Rootmeaning of this word?-114. Empire. The Lat. imperium means often 'supreme authority, governing power.' The meaning here? - 115. Ignominy. To scan this line, which offends the ears of some critics, they direct that here and in Shakespeare this word should be pronounced as a trisyllable; but may Milton make this third foot an amphibrach? or the fourth an anapest? -116. Downfall. "Here," says Keightley, "we are to understand, 'We therefore will not do it."" Fate. What was the classical conception of fate?-117. Empyreal substance. Satan assumes that the angels are indestructible. In the lines Upon the Circumcision, Milton, addressing the flaming Powers, speaks of their 'fiery essence.' In the highest heaven the pure element of fire, the most sublime of substances, was supposed to exist. The Greek ovoía, ousia, essence, is Lat. substantia. Besides Ps. civ. 4, "He maketh his angels spirits, his ministers a flame of fire," what can you quote favoring this notion? So the empyrean the fiery; Gr. μπνρos, empуros, of fire. 122. Grand. Meaning? How used in a preceding line? - 123. Triumphs. Accent 2d syl. So Shakes. accents the word triumphing in Antony and Cleopatra. Excess. Milton does not forget to make Satan 'the father of lies.'124. Tyranny (Gr. Tupavvía, tyrannia, sovereignty usurped). What was a tyrant' in Greece? "Satan probably uses 'tyranny' in an invidious sense." Keightley.125. Apostate (Gr. àπó, apo, from, and σrîvaï, stenai, to stand; &TooTaoía, apostasia, a standing aloof, defection, apostasy.) An apos - And him thus answered soon his bold compeer : 130 Fearless, endangered heaven's perpetual King, Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate! 135 Hath lost us heaven, and all this mighty host In horrible destruction laid thus low, As far as gods and heavenly essences Can perish for the mind and spirit remains tate is properly what? Is the word correctly used in this passage? The passage slightly resembles Æneid, I. 208. —127. Compeer (Lat. compar; com, together, and par, equal; an associated equal), colleague. See 'peers,' line 39. —- 128. Throned powers. Thrones are mentioned as one of the nine angelic orders. St. Paul, in Rom. viii. 38, speaks of 'angels, principalities, powers'; and in Eph. i. 21, he says, 'above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.' So in Colossians i. 16, he mentions 'thrones, dominions, principalities,' and 'powers,' — apparently mighty beings, who possess in themselves, as it were, the power of a principality or a kingdom, and are called by these suggestive names for want of any others. See 1. 360. 129. Embattled, drawn up in battle array. What is the antecedent of 'that'? Seraphim, plural of seraph. The only similar word in Hebrew is saraph, to burn; but Gesenius connects it with an Arabic word signifying high, or eminent, exalted. The name occurs nowhere in the Bible, except in Isaiah vi. 2 and 6. 66 Foreign words," says Storr, "when first introduced into English, commonly retain the foreign plural; but gradually adopt English plurals; as seraphim, seraphs, banditti, bandits." Give other illustrations. 130. Conduct. Meaning here?-131. Perpetual. Probably used, say the critics, to avoid the word 'eternal,' which Beelzebub would be unwilling to employ. Is there anything in the remainder of this speech to militate against this construction? Perpetual (Lat. perpetuus) means holding on uninterruptedly, or continuing without intermission. In Milton's Hymn on the Nativity, line 7, 'perpetual' appears to be used for everlasting. Discriminate among the synonymes everlasting, eternal, perpetual, immortal. — 132. Put to proof, tested. Does it mean, 'tested his high supremacy' or 'tested whether his high supremacy was upheld by strength,' etc.?-134. Event (Lat. eventus, issue, result, upshot). 136. Hath lost us, hath lost heaven for us, made us lose heaven. 138. Essences, natures, spirits. 139. Remains. Invincible, and vigor soon returns, 140 Though all our glory extinct, and happy state But what if he our conqueror (whom I now Of force believe almighty, since no less Than such could have o'erpowered such force as ours) 145 Strongly to suffer and support our pains, 150 Or do his errands in the gloomy deep? What can it then avail, though yet we feel To undergo eternal punishment?" Whereto with speedy words the arch-fiend replied: 155 Why the singular? See in Matt. xvi. 17, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee." 140. Returns, and therefore will return to us. Keightley. 141. Extinct. Supply be.' Glory is brightness, and it is extinguished as a flame is put out. (Lat. ex, out, and sti[n]guère, to prick, scratch; quench.) 144. Of force (like Gr. Bíą, of necessity), perforce, necessarily. A few explain it as depending upon almighty,' i. e. ' almighty in respect to force,' and the next line somewhat favors this interpretation. (Shakes. uses 'of force' as equivalent to perforce, 1 Henry IV., II. 3, last line.)-148. Suffice, be sufficient for, satiate, satisfy, glut. Ire. Difference between the language of prose and that of poetry? So 'thralls' in the next line. 149. Thralls (A. S. thrall, slave). Trench (Study of Words, p. 93) derives it from A. S. thrilian, thyrlian, to bore, pierce; whence comes drill; and he cites the custom of piercing the slave's ear, Deut. xv. 17, "Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant forever"), slaves, bondmen. 150. Business, the work he wishes to have performed? Shakespeare's line (Tempest, I. 2), "To do me business in the veins o' th' earth,' may have been in Milton's mind. — 152. The gloomy deep, the same as described in Book II. 890 to 910, the abyss of Chaos, a dark illimitable ocean.' Is it that state of things referred to in Gen. i. 2, " And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep"? 155. To undergo. On what does this grammatically depend on 'avail'? or 'strength' ?-156. Speedy words. Not the 'winged words,' eπea πTEPÓEVTα, |